Alaskans on Alert for Tsunami After Powerful Earthquake Off Shore

Associated Press
Updated

Officials canceled tsunami warnings for Alaska and the rest of the West Coast early Tuesday morning – hours after a large earthquake about 175 miles off the shore of Kodiak, Alaska, promoted evacuations in the middle of the night there.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck at about 1 a.m. local time Tuesday, triggering tsunami alerts that urged people to get to higher ground quickly. A tsunami watch was triggered for the entire West Coast of the United States, all the way down to the Mexican border.

A tsunami warning for southern Alaska and the Alaska peninsula was downgraded to a tsunami advisory in the hours after the earthquake, the National Weather Service said. Officials said a tsunami “has been confirmed and some impacts are expected.”

Tsunami alerts for the rest of the West Coast were canceled later Tuesday morning, officials said.

Following the earthquake, officials urged residents in and around Kodiak, Alaska, to move to higher ground as sirens blared warning of a tsunami early in the morning, according to videos shared on social media. The Kodiak Police Department said water was receding from the city’s harbor — a usual occurrence ahead of a tsunami.

Some Kodiak residents tweeted that they left their homes to get to higher ground in the middle of the night. They also reported feeling the tremors from the earthquake before the tsunami alerts were issued.

The magnitude of the earthquake was originally reported as 8.2, before being downgraded to 7.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Kodiak Police Department does not yet have reports of any damage.

The most immediate threat was to Alaska and British Columbia. “If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground,” the Anchorage Office of Emergency Management said. “Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring.”

A tsunami watch was issued for points up and down the West Coast of the United States. An automatic alert is triggered whenever an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude occurs in the region. If a tsunami is detected, the watch is upgraded to a warning.

Warning messages were sent to resident in affected areas, and the National Weather Service released a map of how the event might spread from the earthquake’s epicenter.

Schools were used as shelters amid the tsunami wave warnings. Some schools also canceled classes or announced delays for school on Tuesday due to the event.